At the moment the daughter drank the milk.
[You draw talismans to exorcise evil for your daughter, Talismanic Magic +2, currently 8/100]
Shen Wang knew that his daughter was temporarily satisfied.
But in the long run, this wasn’t a sustainable solution; a more permanent fix was needed.
No, it’s not that desperate yet; as long as breast milk is an option, it’s the preferred choice.
Shen Wang dismissed the idea of goat’s milk in his mind. Moreover, during this freezing winter, goat’s milk was harder to come by than human milk. After all, animals rarely breed in winter.
With some newfound talismanic experience, Shen Wang seized the opportunity and continued to practice on the remaining talisman paper.
Currently, he could reside peacefully in the ancestral home because of these runes, but those remaining on the walls were dormant. Only by mastering them himself could they be activated.
For half an hour straight, he studied the runes in the ancestral home and used up all the yellow paper, drawing quite a few talismans.
He kept a few good ones aside and handed the rest to Liu Shan: "Stick them up, they can ward off evil."
"Thank you, Grandmaster. We have prepared a room, and you can take your daughter there to rest."
Shen Wang nodded: "Pack up, and bring your wife and child to come with me."
"Follow you, Grandmaster?"
Liu Shan, who just intended to get some paste, was stunned.
"Your wife was just possessed by evil spirits and is likely to be targeted again. If you don’t want anything to happen to her, you should accompany me for a while."
Shen Wang deliberately exaggerated; in fact, he didn’t want to keep running around.
He didn’t mind the travel, but his daughter was still young. How could they travel dozens of miles every day just to get milk?
"But... Grandmaster, I’m the family’s strongman; it’s not good for me to leave now."
Liu Shan hesitated: "How about you stay at my place, Grandmaster?"
"Are you the Grandmaster, or am I the Grandmaster?"
Shen Wang held his daughter: "I’ll give you half an hour to prepare."
Liu Shan watched helplessly as Shen Wang entered the room and scratched his head as he went back to discuss with his father.
In the end, fearing that Hongping would fall under evil influence again, they reluctantly packed a lot of things and decided to follow Shen Wang.
After half an hour of cultivation, Shen Wang left the guest room. Seeing Liu Shan with all the luggage, he frowned: "No need to bring so much. I’m not living in the mountains."
"No worries, I have two workers to carry it,"
Liu Shan responded astutely, fearing that Shen Wang would lead him to a dangerous place.
"Only you, your wife, and the child are allowed to follow,"
Shen Wang shook his head: "I won’t force you."
Liu Shan looked confused: "Grandmaster, wouldn’t it be better to test things by bringing a few more people?"
"You’re the one who’s going; they can help your family while left behind."
Shen Wang said indifferently, causing Liu Shan to feel a bit helpless. However, what Shen Wang said made sense, so he could only grit his teeth and agree: "Alright, I’ll go with my wife and children."
Hongping came out, holding a plump baby boy, who looked a month older than Shen Chuxue.
Shen Wang said succinctly.
"Grandmaster, where are you going? Do you need us to see you off?" Village Chief Liu couldn’t help but ask.
"Fengming Town, it’s not far. I can come back for errands,"
Shen Wang mentioned their destination, and Liu Shan and his father visibly relaxed.
"It’s good that it’s not far. The carriage is ready. Please take care of them, Grandmaster. Feel free to instruct my son on anything," Village Chief Liu said with a smile, seeing Shen Wang onto the carriage.
There was still some time until darkness fell, so Shen Wang didn’t refuse the offer of a carriage. After getting on, Liu Shan drove slowly towards Fengming Town.
Inside the carriage, Hongping was silent for a moment before asking curiously: "Benefactor, are you a monk?"
"No, I am merely a practitioner,"
Shen Wang replied, observing Hongping’s strong wrist: "It seems you also practice martial arts."
"You have keen eyes, Benefactor. I am the daughter of the owner of the Golden Saber Martial Arts Hall in Baixi City, and my husband is my father’s disciple,"
Shen Wang was familiar with Baixi City, a large city a hundred miles in circumference. If you continue south from Lingxi Town for fifty miles, you’ll reach it. The city also had some cultivators; he had been there before. As for smaller forces like the Golden Saber Martial Arts Hall, he didn’t know much about them.
He glanced at Hongping: "For a martial artist, your Essence, Qi, and Spirit are quite substantial. It’s strange that you were targeted by demon fiends. Where exactly did it happen?"
Hongping recalled: "It was Fengming Mountain. I seemed to have prayed at the Mountain God Temple and then encountered a madman at the foot of the mountain and got scared, after which I remember nothing."
"Madam, you were also mad then and tried to bite our son on the road. Fortunately, I blocked you, but you bit my arm and made it bleed,"
Liu Shan added from his position driving the carriage.
"Fengming Mountain, madman..."
Shen Wang stroked his chin in thought.
Fengming Mountain was the mountain range where their ancestral home was located, spanning several hundred miles, with deep forests and wild mountains. The ancestral home and Lingxi Town were all within its range.
However, Lingxi Town was located at the foot of the mountain, making the terrain flatter and the land more fertile, so people’s lives were generally better there.
"Grandmaster, you’re adept at dealing with these demons and ghosts; we martial artists genuinely can’t cope with them,"
Liu Shan complimented, "You must be a cultivator, Grandmaster. It’s rumored that only cultivators can handle demons and ghosts, though they are only found in Baixi City. I didn’t expect to find you, such a Grandmaster, in remote Fengming Town."
"Oh, you know about cultivators?" Shen Wang was a bit surprised because ordinary martial artists had no contact with such things.
"Benefactor, don’t listen to his boasting; he heard it from my father yet never met a real cultivator,"
Hongping smiled warmly; she had a round face that looked kind when she smiled.
Liu Shan confirmed this person was a true cultivator, exclaiming excitedly: "Grandmaster, it’s rumored that you are immortal. Demons and ghosts would avoid you. Is it true?"
"If the strength is sufficient, everyone steers clear,"
Shen Wang smiled and shook his head: "What you said earlier isn’t accurate either. A martial artist with enough strength can also handle demons and ghosts."
"That’s impossible; we martial artists only know basic combat, how can we even hit them?"
Liu Shan shook his head.
Shen Wang smiled without further explanation.
Once this person had the chance to encounter a Martial Arts Grandmaster, he wouldn’t say such things anymore.
"Husband, don’t speak nonsense in front of the Benefactor,"
Hongping glared at Liu Shan: "My father said, martial arts can reach divinity. With so many practicing, someone will manage to handle demons and ghosts."
"You’re right, martial artists outnumber Qi Cultivation Cultivators by a hundredfold, so some can bridge the gap and merge martial skills with the Dao,"
Shen Wang was satisfied with Hongping’s perception, believing that such people would be compliant after being taken to the ancestral home.
"The Grandmaster is right; it’s my lack of ability. If I were an Innate Grandmaster, you wouldn’t have had to endure so much, Madam,"
Liu Shan sighed. He had average talent and hadn’t learned much at the martial arts hall, his rudimentary skills only serving him within the village.
Shen Wang glanced at the sky, noticing thick clouds covering it. Even if it didn’t rain, it would likely get dark sooner today, saying: "Enough, drive faster; we must arrive before nightfall."
Liu Shan hadn’t realized any danger but obediently followed Shen Wang’s directions, urging the horse to a faster pace with a flick of the whip.